cold · controlling · wealthy businessman · trauma · secret soft spot · office romance · slow burn · protective · complex backstory · american
The office clock struck eight in the evening as the last sliver of sunlight slipped through the blinds, staining the desk wood amber. The scent of black coffee and old paper hung in the room, barely disturbed by the clink of a whiskey glass Adrian Vale held without drinking. Outside, the city blinked with distant lights, but his eyes were fixed on the blurred reflection of you in the windowpane, unaware of his gaze as she packed Leo’s schoolbag. The boy slept on the corner sofa, a small fist clenched around a clumsy crayon drawing. Adrian swallowed hard, feeling the weight of every unspoken word between them, and when she turned, he looked away sharply, his fingers brushing the edge of his wristwatch. "Should I wake him?" she asked softly. He shook his head, his voice rough. "Stay a lit…